Summary
The article that I read has to do with getting more students involved in undergraduate research. The article states that there are a variety of "...educational benefits gained by the students, the professional merits accorded to faculty, and the contributions provided to the wider research community." (Karukstis, 1474) According to Carlos Gutierrez (qoted in the article) "...we must stimulate their (students') interest in Chemistry by using undergraduate research as a beginning to their careers in Chemistry." (Karukstis, 1474). The article also touches upon the importance of incorporating co-curricular activities between diciplines, and says that "Cross-instructional partnerships play a central role in many of the programs." (Karukstis, 1475) The publication Developing & Sustaining A Research-Supportive Curriculum: A Compendium of Successful Practices (also cited in the article) has three goals for institutions:
To make the case for broadening participation in undergraduate research
To share the range of strategies that have been used to engage students who have not traditionally been involved in research
To provide examples that will encourage others to make the commitment to adapt and adopt efforts to broaden participation in their own institutions
(Karukstis, 1475)
Reaction
I have done undergraduate research in one of the Organic Chemistry labs here at URI for about two years now which is one of the main reasons that I chose this article. I can say that research has been a great experience for me and I have learned a great deal about the practical applications of Chemistry through my reasearch projects. I have even had the opportunity to submit an article for publication in the science journal cited above, the Journal of Chmical Education. I have also witnessed group projects involving multiple departments such as Chemistry/Biology and Chemistry/Engeneering which I feel is very important because all science diciplines are related. I agree with the idea that curriculums should allow for semesters of undergraduate research because it gives students a small taste of what working in industrial Chemistry firms such as Pfizer will be like. Many of the valuable concepts such as safety procedures and proper record keeping can be observe in these research settings. In reality, undergraduate research is like student teaching for Chemistry majors intending to go on to industry. I am a firm believer in being able to apply knowledge that has been learned to practical situations and I feel that the points in this article promote such practical application giving institutions the opportunity to produce more well rounded graduates.
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2008/Nov/jceSubscriber/JCE2008p1474.pdf
Summary
The article that I read has to do with getting more students involved in undergraduate research. The article states that there are a variety of "...educational benefits gained by the students, the professional merits accorded to faculty, and the contributions provided to the wider research community." (Karukstis, 1474) According to Carlos Gutierrez (qoted in the article) "...we must stimulate their (students') interest in Chemistry by using undergraduate research as a beginning to their careers in Chemistry." (Karukstis, 1474). The article also touches upon the importance of incorporating co-curricular activities between diciplines, and says that "Cross-instructional partnerships play a central role in many of the programs." (Karukstis, 1475) The publication Developing & Sustaining A Research-Supportive Curriculum: A Compendium of Successful Practices (also cited in the article) has three goals for institutions:
- To make the case for broadening participation in undergraduate research
- To share the range of strategies that have been used to engage students who have not traditionally been involved in research
- To provide examples that will encourage others to make the commitment to adapt and adopt efforts to broaden participation in their own institutions
(Karukstis, 1475)Reaction
I have done undergraduate research in one of the Organic Chemistry labs here at URI for about two years now which is one of the main reasons that I chose this article. I can say that research has been a great experience for me and I have learned a great deal about the practical applications of Chemistry through my reasearch projects. I have even had the opportunity to submit an article for publication in the science journal cited above, the Journal of Chmical Education. I have also witnessed group projects involving multiple departments such as Chemistry/Biology and Chemistry/Engeneering which I feel is very important because all science diciplines are related. I agree with the idea that curriculums should allow for semesters of undergraduate research because it gives students a small taste of what working in industrial Chemistry firms such as Pfizer will be like. Many of the valuable concepts such as safety procedures and proper record keeping can be observe in these research settings. In reality, undergraduate research is like student teaching for Chemistry majors intending to go on to industry. I am a firm believer in being able to apply knowledge that has been learned to practical situations and I feel that the points in this article promote such practical application giving institutions the opportunity to produce more well rounded graduates.
- Matthew Hooper